John Harris (1596–1648) of Lanrest, Liskeard in Cornwall and of Radford in the parish of Plymstock in Devon,[1] was an English gentleman who was elected four times as a Member of Parliament for Liskeard in Cornwall, between 1628 and 1644.
Harris was the second son of John Harris (1564- June 1623) of Lanrest in Cornwall, Recorder (or Steward[2]) of the Borough of West Looe in Cornwall ( established in 1574[3]) and MP for West Looe in Cornwall in 1614,[4] by his wife Joane Harte, daughter and sole heiress of Robert Harte of Plimston in the parish of Stoke Climsland in Cornwall.
[5][6] His younger brother was Robert Harris (d.1655), Major General of the King's infantry in Plymouth, buried at Tywardreath in Cornwall, where he "lies interred under a marble monument"[7] inscribed as follows:[8] "Loyal and stout, thy crime this, this thy praise," "Thou'rt here with Honour laid, tho' without Bayes."
In April 1640 Harris was re-elected MP for Liskeard in the Short Parliament.
He was re-elected for Liskeard in the Long Parliament in November 1640 until he was disabled from sitting in January 1644 for supporting the King.